Following from the last volume, we find the gang in quite a pinch, as the mysterious phantom attackers have captured Moka and Tsukune, and everyone else is left to wander aimlessly in the underground tunnels. The boss of the enemy group gets bored and decides to go kill the rest of the group, using his powers to disguise himself as Tsukune before heading out. The fake Tsukune is met with a quick problem: he has trouble dealing with women, and the girls just happen to love either rubbing their bodies over Tsukune or beating him to a bloody pulp. Of course, he is quickly discovered due to the taste of his blood and the lack of Tsukune’s chain. Meanwhile, Tsukune ends up in a fight with his psychopathic guard, which he quickly wins due to a massive awakening of ghoul power.

The enemy boss, his identity revealed, decides it’s time to show off the full extent of his powers. As a doppelganger, he has the ability to copy not only an opponent’s appearance, but their abilities as well (oh, and he’s skilled in the martial arts.) Using these powers, he copies Kurumu, and after a bit of adjustment to his to new feminine form, he proceeds to easily defeat the girls. The ghoulish Tsukune then makes his way into the fray, but his rampage is stopped via a flash of feminine parts. Things then take a turn for the worse as the doppelganger copies Mokona, gaining full access to her vampiric powers. However, with a bit of teamwork and ingenuity, the group is able to defeat the powerful foe.

From that point on, the volume focuses on Koko, who is feeling a bit inadequate due to her small size. Hoping to solve the problem, Yukari gives Koko her new “Gro-Gro Candies,” which turn Koko into a properly busty teenage version of herself. This allows Koko to make quick work of the Karate Club, who had previously mocked her for her small size. Unfortunately, Koko soon discovers the unfortunate side effect of the candy right when the Karate Club comes for its revenge: after a certain period of time, the effects wear off and you temporarily become even younger than when you first ate the candy. Due to her tiny size, she is quickly embarrassed by the Karate Club, and her depression worsens. However, when one particularly stubborn Karate Club member comes after her once again, the group comes to her rescue and even helps to cheer her up in the process.

In Summary:

By focusing on two larger stories instead of several small ones, this volume manages to be even more enjoyable than the previous one. The first half in particular does a fantastic job of mixing both the serious moments and goofy ones, and the enemy boss turns out to be a surprisingly intriguing character. The second half, while definitely a bit weaker than the first, manages to deliver quite a few solid laughs with its ridiculous set-up and actually manages to develop Koko’s character even further. Hopefully further volumes will be able to match the fantastic quality of this one.